What is espresso brunette hair? Ways to styles the hair colour for any skin tone

Ways to style espresso brunette hair (Image via Sportskeeda)
Ways to style espresso brunette hair (Image via Sportskeeda)

Garnering positive traction from beauty enthusiasts worldwide, espresso brunette hair has become a trending hair colour shade. Celebrities like Zendaya and Mila Kunis have made headlines sporting espresso brunette hair, proving this shade suits a varied skin tone spectrum.

Espresso brunette, as the name suggests, is between medium and dark brunette, just like the shade of coffee beans. It is a cool, rich-toned shade that never looks flat and accentuates one’s features. Ideal for coffee lovers, espresso brunette hair turns up like a coffee-like shade on the tresses and is ideal for all skin tones and eye colours.

This dark, rich brown shade can be paired with lighter highlights to elevate the look. Additionally, there are multiple ways in which beauty enthusiasts can style this hair colour.


Iced Espresso, Dark Espresso, and more: Ways to style espresso brunette hair for all skin tones

While warm skin tones can add honey amber shades to an espresso brunette hair colour, cooler skin tones can go for dark highlights. Here are some of the few ways people with varied skin tones can style this hair colour:

Iced Espresso:

Iced espresso is a close shade to black; however, it is a high-shine dark brown hair colour featuring blended highlights. When paired with a brunette, the shade appears darker on the hair and complements skin tones with a summer tan.

Moreover, it is recommended that one stay within the shade range of their natural hair colour by one to two levels so the grown-out hair doesn’t appear lighter.

Espresso Ombré:

Ombré manicures have created quite a rave, and so has the Espresso Ombré hair colour variation. This shade is ideal for someone looking for a drastic hair change as it features a faded dark brown espresso base and a lighter shade at the tips.

A pro tip following this hair shade is to use hair colour-friendly products and treat the tresses with conditioner to prevent hair damage from dual-color dyeing.

Espresso Brunette Balayage:

Adding a dimensional brunette balance to the espresso shade will volumize and enhance the look. One can ask their hairstylist for a dark brown base with lighter or dark-coloured ashy blonde highlights throughout the tresses. Additionally, the dimensional balayage will prevent the hair from looking flat.

Smokey Espresso:

Smokey espresso is an ashy espresso brunette hair color with cold and grey undertones that complements most skin tones. It is suitable for lighter to warmer skin tones.

The smokey espresso hair colour features an espresso brunette as the base colour of the hair, paired with hues of grey either at the tips, as a balayage, or blended alternately for more dimension.

Hazelnut Espresso:

Hazelnut Espresso is a double-layered shade identical to the one Dua Lipa wore before she went cherry cola. Hazelnut espresso has a swirl of hazelnut hair color on the ends and mid-lengths, boosting contrast while also appearing deep and dark.

It is a warm color, and one can add a variation of caramel highlights to it. One can ask their hairstylist to increase the contrast to keep the balayage soft yet dark-looking.


With a few variations, the base shade of espresso brunette hair can look amazing regardless of the skin tone. Espresso brunette is one of the few universally flattering hair colours and beauty enthusiasts must make the most of it to give their hair a subtle yet striking makeover.

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Edited by Krutik Jain
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